Thriving in the Family Business
Blue Bruzzone grew up hearing construction talk at the dinner table on a nightly basis. Her father worked in construction most of her life, but she never thought she would end up following in his footsteps.
Bruzzone attended California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, with plans to study education and become a teacher. She became interested in this career path through her best friend’s mother, who was an English teacher.
However, as she engaged more in her studies, Bruzzone realized that teaching was not the career for her, after all. Puzzled by what to pursue next, she took her father’s advice and applied for an internship at Gray. She immediately felt at home in construction, and interned at Gray for three years, before returning to a full-time role at Gray Southwest in Fullerton, CA.
“Although I didn’t know much when I first started, I enjoyed the challenge,” Bruzzone said. “If something doesn’t challenge you, it’s just limiting your true potential. You have to go outside of your comfort zone in order to grow.”
As a project engineer, Bruzzone acts as the gatekeeper for the field team, engineers, and project managers. Her day-to-day tasks revolve around document control and coordination between the teams. She also does extensive tasks within Procore, works with RFIs, reviews submittals, and creates meeting agendas, drawings, and specs.
“I think one of the things I enjoy so much is working with the amazing project teams here at Gray,” Bruzzone said. “You spend so much time on your projects, so getting to collaborate with such a great team makes it incredibly rewarding.”
Bruzzone said one of her best memories during her tenure at Gray thus far was attending Gray’s Annual Meeting in Lexington, KY, where she had the opportunity to meet and interact with people that she’s collaborated with on projects. She feels events like this are what set Gray apart from others in the industry and support the core values of the company.
For any individual interested in pursuing a career in the construction industry, Bruzzone encourages them to take a chance and learn new and valuable skills.
“No one’s path to construction is the same, but I’m a firm believer that whatever is meant for you will not pass you by,” she said. “I’ve had the opportunity to work with individuals at all levels in the construction industry that truly rock in their roles. With hard work and dedication to moving forward in your career, the opportunities are endless.”
When she’s not on the job, Bruzzone enjoys spending time with her husband, Anthony, and their dogs, Kimber and Remi.
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